Nourhan Bassam

Founder of GamingX | Italy

Nourhan Bassam is an architect, urban designer, social entrepreneur, educator, feminist urbanist, and city enthusiast. She has a deep passion for women's and community empowerment, using place- and playmaking to guide communities to shape their own inclusive, equitable, and sustainable cities. As founder and CEO of GamingX, a think-tank that focuses on community development and empowerment, Nourhan further builds on the idea of feminist urbanism. The organisation works to create play spaces and active urban places that are accessible and inclusive for all members of the community, especially marginalised groups. Furthermore, Nourhan engages in advocacy efforts to promote gender-sensitive design and policymaking. She conducts research to better understand the experiences and perspectives of women in cities, including their mobility patterns, safety concerns, and access to economic and social opportunities. As creator of ‘The Gendered City’ project, Nourhan amplifies the attention given to the restrictions and failures that women face in cities using a range of activities and initiatives: research, advocacy, and community engagement. It aims to raise awareness about the ways in which cities have been designed and structured that often excludes and marginalises female citizens, and to promote gender equity and social justice in urban life. Her upcoming book, ‘How cities keep failing women’ will explore these themes. With a master's degree in user-centric design approaches, Nourhan is now finishing a Ph.D in sustainable communities, resilient cities, and social inclusivity. Her goal is to work with local stakeholders – such as community members and policymakers – to identify creative ideas to promote community engagement and empowerment in the built environment.